Support for hammocks.



No. 698,865. Patented Apr. 29, I902.

0. SMITH & J. L. MOUNCE.

SUPPORT FOR HAMMOGKS.

(Application filed Apr. 5, 1901.)

(No Model.)

*Wihacoaeo 2 5 UNITED STATES ATENT O FICE.

' CHAUNOEY SMITIIAND JOSEPH LEON MOUNCE, OF PHILADELPHIA,

PENNSYLVANIA. I

SUPPORT FOR HAMMOCKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 698,865, dated April29, 1902.

Application filed April 5, 1901.

To 50% whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, OHAUN-CEY SMITH and JOSEPH LEON MOUNOE, citizens ofthe United States, residing in the city and county of 3 Philadelphia,State of Pennsylvania, have invented anew and useful ImprovementinSupports for Hammocks, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in 1 to supportsfor hammocks, &c.and it consists of a plate having a hook suitably attached thereto andmeans for supporting said plate and hook ata proper place.

It further consists of novel detailsof construction, all as will behereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Figure 1 represents a perspective view showing a tree-trunk and ourinvention applied thereto. Fig. 2 represents a front ele- 2o Vationthereof, showing a portion of the chain broken away. Fig. 3 represents asectional view on line a; m, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 represents a side elevationof a portion of the device, showing the means for attaching the free endof the chain to the plate. Fig. 5 represents a plan view of a portion ofthe device on an enlarged scale. Fig. 6 represents a sectional view online y y, Fig. 5.

Similar letters of reference indicate come .30 sponding parts in thefigures.

Referring to the drawings, A designates a support for hammocks, &c.,consisting of the plate B, having an outward projection or boss 0thereon and an opening D. Secured in 5 said opening is an eye E, towhich is attached the hook F, said eye having the free ends G, which areseated in the projection O and held in position by the washer J. Thefront open-- ing of said boss or projection C is reduced or 0 of lessdiameter than therear one, so that while the washer embraces thecontracted portion of the limbs of the eye said limbs,

which also occupy said front opening, cannot.

be driven out through the latter. Again, the

Fur-

Serial No. 54,502. (No model.)

thermore, the boss is integral with the plate, thus avoiding joints or.fastenings for said boss and plate, while a cheaper and strongerarticle is produced.

Secured to the plate B by a pin K or other suitable means is a chain L,and at a suitable point on said plate B, in the present instance on theopposite side from said pin K, are the outwardly-projecting ways M,which are at an angle to each other or converging, as seen in Fig. 5,and the front walls N of which are straight, as seen in Fig. 4, it beingnoticed that each way has the inclined inner face P and is provided withinturned shoulders Q, with an opening between the same. The inner faceof the front wall of the boss 0 has a shoulder thereonagainst which thewasher J abuts, and the rear of said boss is open through the plate B.The ends or limbs G of the eye E are spread apart after passing throughthe said washer, by which provision their contracted neck in front ofthe spread-apart ends is tightly embraced by the inner wall of thewasher, and as the latter is rested against the shoulder of the boss theeye E remains firmly in position in the latter without liability ofbeing drawn out of the boss. In assembling the parts the washer islocated in position in the boss, and the limbs G in closed condition arepassed through said washer, after which said limbs, being accessible atthe rear opening of the boss, are spread out, thus interlocking withsaid washer and occupying the position as has been stated and asillustrated in Fig. 3, it being evident that the limbs of the eyerequire to be of considerable length in order to possess the necessarystrength and purchase on the plate, which is comparatively thin. Hencethe provision of the boss and the securing members forthe limbsof theeye therein.

The washer J is subjected internally to the strain of the spread-apartlimbs of the eye, and .it is enabled to endure the same, asit is made ofmaterial superior to that of the plate B and boss 0, preferably ofwrought metal, while said plate and boss may be made of lightsaycast-metal, and so the opening D of said boss 0 would be fractured orbroken if said strain were imposed directly thereon,

which is not the case, for, as has been stated, said strain istransmitted to the washer and the latter rests directly fiat against theshoulder on the inner face of the boss as its seat, while the limbs ofthe eye are removed from injurious contact with said opening D.

The operation is as follows: The plate is placed against a tree, as inFig. 1, or a post, it being noticed that the shape of said plate is incurved contour, and the chain passed around the trunk of the tree, itbeing noticed that the links of said chain are so shaped that the samewill enter between the ways M and that the shoulders Q on the same willprevent the chain from leaving said ways until removed by propermanipulation thereof. In this manner the plate and hook connectedtherewith will be properly supported and will serve as a hammock-supportor a hitching device, as desired.

Owing to the inturned shoulders Q, the end of a link of a chain isadapted to abut against the same, thus taking up the direct linearstrain of the chain and avoiding the spreading apart of the ways M bythe tapering form of the link between said ways. The opening between theshoulders permits the next link of the chain to project therethrough ata right angle to the one occupying the said ways.

It will be apparent that slight changes may be made by those skilled inthe art which will come Within the scope of our invention, and we donot, therefore, desire to be limited in everyinstance to the exactconstruction here'- in shown and described.

Having thus described our invention, what we believe to be new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A plate, an outwardly-projecting boss thereon, said boss being openin front and rear and havinga shoulder on its inner face around thefront opening, a washer in said boss seated on said shoulder, a hook,and an eye carrying the latter and having contractedlimbs which passthrough said front opening of the boss and through saidwasher and arespread at the rear opening within said boss, said boss being integralwith said plate.

2. In a support of the character stated, a plate, means for securing thesame in position, an outwardly-projecting boss on said plate, the samebeing open in front and rear, a hook in front of said boss, an eye bywhich said hook is suspended, said eye being provided with limbs whichoccupy said boss and are partly contracted and partly spread apart, anda washer which is seated on the inner face of the wall of the frontopening of said boss and embraces the contracted portion of said limbs.

OHAUNCEY SMITH. JOSEPH LEON MOUNGE.

\Vitnesses: WM. CANER WIEDERSHEIM,

U. D. MCVAY.

